1 english language arts kindergarten curriculum unit 1 - Maimonides ...

GRADE 5 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUMUNIT 1: VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AND GRAMMARBy fifth grade, our students are very comfortable reading for information, both independently and in class. They also select age appropriate books to read for bookprojects and independent reading. They should be able to communicate their thoughts fluently both orally and in writing. Our program places heavy emphasis onreading and writing (with other skills being learned primarily through these two areas), critical thinking and integration with other curricular areas. Because there ismore social studies in fifth grade, there is less time devoted exclusively to language arts.I. Knowledge/ContentII. SkillsIII. ActivitiesIV: ResourcesV. AssessmentVI. Articulation/ThematicLearn and develop vocabulary skills through Wordly Wise curriculumAcquire new words; identify strategies that help students identify unfamiliar words as they readImprove and develop grammar skillsLearn the correct spelling and definition of words (especially multiple meanings)Prefixes, suffixes, and Greek/Latin roots—tools to help discover a word’s meaningUse context clues to learn what a word meansPractice spelling and usage of commonly confused words (such as there/ their, accept/ except)Editing skillsCapitalization—sentence starts, proper nounsPunctuation—sentence endings, use of commas, apostrophes, semi-colons, colons, quotation marksOrganization of writing—descriptive phrases, transition wordsParagraph/ Sentence structure—combining sentences correctlyPractice activities (written, oral)Use vocabulary words in a variety of writing assignments (fiction, advertisement, current events and content areas)Review and introduce concepts especially as they occur in student writing Look at student and “professional” writing to identifyappropriately used conventionsWordly Wise 3000 5 th gradeReading materials for all subject areas (indirectly)Writers Express writing handbookVarious language arts workbooksStudent planners (English/ Language Arts resource section)The Girl’s Like Spaghetti by Lynne Truss and Bonnie TimmonsFor each unit, there is a quiz that assesses spelling, definitions, and using words correctly in sentences.Review games and activities after concluding 4-5 unitsUse words in context when writing storiesRecognizing the words (and their meaning) in textbooks and novelsAssess usage in student writing on vocabulary quizzes and longer piecesSchool-wide ELA AssessmentConnect words to current social studies and math units, as well as novels being studied (e.g. taxes on exported goods,equivalent fractions)18